Five minutes with the Discerning Brute

If you think it’s way difficile being a fashion-conscious girl vegan, try being the boy equivalent. Just ask Joshua Katcher, the force behind The Discerning Brute, a website devoted to “fashion, food and etiquette for the ethically handsome man.” Bearing a tasty batch of cruelty-free rugelach that he whipped up himself, Katcher popped by our offices last week to bitch and moan about the dearth of nice duds for guys who don’t wear leather or wool. After we bonded over our surprisingly unhideous vegan Novacas boots (I have the “Allison” style; he was sporting the “Leo” lace-ups), I let Katcher have his say. “I just want classic, thoughtfully designed menswear,” he explained. “Nothing crazy. I shouldn’t have to wear a t-shirt that says ‘Cowhugger’ on it.”

A freelance television producer for MTV, Katcher also freely lends his video expertise to his favorite animal charities. For instance, he recently headed to northern California on behalf of Farm Sanctuary to shoot former W cover girl Ginnifer Goodwin in a series of “Adopt a Turkey” public service announcements. “I did it in exchange for a ticket to their Thanksgiving event at Tavern on the Green,” Katcher says. “I think they got a pretty good deal.”